45, in the USA. I discovered Football Manager in 2013 (FM 12).
I am a teacher, and some of my students, who are usually 16 or 17, play FM.
My 14-year-old son plays FM, and his 11-year-old sister is intrigued by it too.
I think the results we're seeing here reflect the fact that those of us who play FM and post on an internet forum about it are usually in our 30s or older.

10 March 2018
After a pre-season that saw his Gulskogen team rout one opponent after another, Aidan believed they were ready for the Premier Division season. They were mostly healthy; striker Ohi Omoijuanfo had tweaked his right thigh in training three days ago, and wouldn't be ready for the season opener, but otherwise Aidan had a full squad at his disposal.
Aidan had made a good living as a no-frills target man, but as a manager, he liked to see his teams play from the back, patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike. When they lost the ball, he wanted them to win it back in a hurry. Against a stronger team, he was willing to soak up pressure and hit them on the counter.
Aidan had absolutely no issues with his goalkeeping situation. Rossbach and Myhra were both gifted 'keepers in their early 20s. Rossbach had been capped 20 times at Under 21 level, and Myhra wasn't terribly far off Sondre's level. Both 'keepers were comfortable with the ball at their feet, able to do their part in Aidan's system.
Versatile wide defender Parr would play on one side or the other. Hard-working and committed, he exemplified the type of player Aidan wanted in the team. If Parr played on the right, either Våge Nilsen or Lindquist would man the left. Aidan could choose from four solid center backs. Hovland was likely to be on the team sheet every week. Big and strong, he was one of the league's top defenders. Against teams with fast strikers, Amundsen would probably get the nod. Knudsen and Lindgren were also more than capable. Lindgren was the best passer of the four, and he was also the club captain.
Typically, Aidan lined his team up with three central midfielders. One shielded the back four, while the other two played farther forward. Lindgren and Våge Nilsen were both able to fill the more defensive role, and so was Gjerstrom, an exciting young prospect who, like Lindquist, had been with the team since his schoolboy days. Classy Klaussen was the side's playmaker, while Berg shuttled back and forth, moving into the channels and dropping back to do his part defensively. Aidan was also impressed with the young trio of Tronstad, Vetlesen, and Børkeeiet. All three of them had forced their way into the manager's plans by applying themselves so professionally in training.
Aidan's 4-1-4-1 used advanced wide men. Vindfjell was a tricky dribbler with a sterling work rate. Either he or pacy veteran Halvorsen would start on the right wing. Ulland had been the sensation of the pre-season, scoring goals himself and setting up his teammates with equal aplomb. Lundevall provided depth at both positions.
Omoijuanfo was a complete forward, big and strong and fast, much like Aidan himself had been. He had scored for fun in the friendlies. Børven was a more than capable relief man, and he would pair well with Omoijuanfo when Aidan set his team up with two forwards. Vindfjell could lead the line in a pinch, and there was a flashy young striker, Sebastian Pedersen, in the Under 21s.
Egil Meland expected Aidan to bring the team home close to the top of the league. The oddsmakers believed this was a fair expectation, and Aidan did too. Rosenborg, as usual, were expected to win the title. Hopefully, the Blues could give them something to worry about.

I've been spending so much time getting my own game and career tale started that I hadn't had much time to read what other people were doing. I decided to check out a few of the other threads here this evening, and I'm glad I did. I just read through your thread, and it's excellent.
Good luck with the new job, and keep up the good work! Following.

I'm glad to see you're continuing this project, @claassen. Your databases are outstanding, and they add so much to my enjoyment of FM every year. Like the rest, I hope the editor's issues don't cause you too much frustration.

EDIT: I made a right mess of my Gulskogen save, largely because of my cluelessness about the rules of the Norwegian Premier League. After some thought, I decided to take a step back, reboot, and proceed with a fresh start.
It all began when I realized that the League requires a team to register at least two players who were trained at the club for three years before their 21st birthdays. I hadn't chosen any players who met this requirement when I picked my team. Fortunately, I "auto-filled" my team after I picked the ones I wanted, and among the "auto-picked" players were a number of lads who had spent their formative years at Strømgsodset. None of them were close to being ready for the first team, but I picked the best of them for the 25-man squad I registered for the league.
That meant I had to leave two much better players out. Both of them promptly pitched fits and, to make a long-ish story short, none of their influential teammates nor I could soothe their bruised egos. They destroyed any semblance of unity the players had forged, dividing the changing room into rival cliques.
At first I thought, "Well, that's football," and began to think about how I would write about the tumult surrounding my club. Then I realized I couldn't explain the screw-up without making my character look far more clueless than any real football manager would be. Real managers don't create their clubs from a blank slate. They inherit a squad full of players, some of whom would have been first team players who graduated from the club's youth program. Aidan Harris would never have been in a position to make the mistake I did.
So, I'm re-writing the post in which I introduced you to my team, reflecting the new "take" on my story.
GB

Thanks, King Cactus. I'll often choose a club to manage because I like their badge or colors, or because they're located in a city or town I find appealing for some reason. Drammen seems like a wonderful setting for a career story.

30 January 2018
Several weeks passed by as Aidan established himself at his new club and in his new city. He found a comfortable, affordable flat not far from a train station, which made it easy for him to get to Gulskogen's facilities. The club's grounds, Marienlyst Stadium, were set against a backdrop of hills, and Aidan thought it was a very pleasant setting for a stadium.
He also found Drammen to be a beautiful city. He enjoyed relaxing with a walk along the Drammensfjord after training. The winter weather was colder than what he was used to in England, but Aidan decided it was invigorating. All things considered, he was happy with life away from the pitch.
Likewise, he had no room for complaints about his job. He had decided to leave the backroom staff in place; they knew the club and its players, and unless Aidan found he couldn't work well with them, he figured the players' adjustments might be smoother if they could work with familiar faces at the training ground.
He discovered he really liked Håkon Wibe-Lund, his assistant manager. Håkon had been a defender, which nicely balanced Aidan's experience as a forward. Aidan was impressed with his professionalism, his ability to relate to young players, and his eye for talent. He was also happy to discover another Englishman, Martin Foyston, on the coaching staff. Martin had been in Norway for five years, including a stint with the national team. His tactical knowledge was extensive, and he had a knack for motivating players.
The team would be playing two friendly matches before embarking on a training trip to Turkey. By then, Aidan hoped he'd have a feel for what kind of team he'd inherited.

Thanks very much, both of you! I'm encouraged by the fact that some of you seem to enjoy a thread in which the actions on the pitch are part of a larger story. I enjoy creating a tale like this, because it helps me become that much more immersed in the save.

Prologue: January 2018
Aidan Harris knew what it was like to hear the crowd sing his name.
He was often described as an old-fashioned English number nine: tall, strong, and brave. Whether or not that was a compliment depended on what you thought about old-fashioned English number nines, or whether or not Aidan was wearing your club's colors.
Aidan Harris, he scores when he wants...
He bagged nineteen goals one year for Reading. He put in 22 and 17 in successive years at Burnley. In three seasons with Spurs, he scored 50 in all comps. Aidan won his first full England cap at 21, and he ended up playing 32 times for his country. He scored 15 goals in an England shirt.
One Aidan Harris...there's only one Aidan Harris...
He would have scored more, had he not missed so much time with injuries. First it was his back, which kept him out of the team for the 2010 World Cup. Then it was his knee. Aidan was picked for the squad that went to Brazil for the 2014 tournament, but a half hour into his first game in the group stage, he twisted his right leg painfully and was stretchered off. Two torn ligaments required surgical repair and months of rehab. In March 2015, he returned to the pitch, back at Reading where he'd started. What pace he had--and it was never that much--was gone, and it never returned. He was only 31 when he retired from international football, missing out on Euro 2016. He hung up his boots for good the next spring.
He had begun studying for his coaching badges while he was recuperating from his knee surgery. He had been paid well as a player and he invested it wisely, so he could afford to take some time, accept a position on a club's staff--even a small club--and discover if management was for him.
He loved it, and it turned out he was good at it, too.
Aidan's name would have opened doors for him at a number of clubs, but he also knew his stature as a former England star would bring added pressure. Honestly, he'd never been completely comfortable in the spotlight; he'd always been humble, even quiet. He'd missed out on some marketing opportunities as a result, but he'd also been able to keep his name and photos out of the tabloids, too.
That's why Aidan decided to make use of the other side of his heritage. His father had met, fallen in love, and married a Norwegian girl who was studying with him at university. Aidan had, therefore, grown up in two cultures, English and Norwegian. In fact, he'd nearly declared for Norway twice, both as a youth and a senior player. Now he was, in effect, declaring for Norway as a manager.
He figured he'd find a place with a mid-sized club, possibly one in the Second Division. He barely paid attention to the news that Gulskogen, one of Norway's bigger clubs, was looking for a new manager after giving Bjørn Petter Ingebretsen the sack. Then, one morning, on a whim, he forwarded his CV to the club's directors.
Two days later, he found himself in chairman Egil Meland's office, interviewing for the position. Aidan thought the interview went fairly well. That night on the phone, he told his brother Jack he thought he'd learned a few things that would help him the next time he interviewed for a position.
When Meland called, two days later, to offer him the position, Aidan nearly dropped his phone.
A few hours later, he'd booked a flight to Oslo and a train ticket from there to the city of Drammen, perhaps 50 kilometers away, where Gulskogen called home.
Now Aidan would be calling Drammen home, too.

United and Loyal: a Norwegian Adventure
Hello, everyone. I started playing Football Manager about five years ago, which makes me a relative newcomer to this fascinating game. I've always loved to write, and about 15 years ago, I started writing "dynasty stories" based on Out of the Park Baseball. I discovered I enjoyed creating a wider setting for the game on the field; it made my engagement and immersion with my career even more intriguing and fulfilling.
I'm going to see if I can capture that same kind of enjoyment with a FM 19 save.
Most of my FM experience has taken place in England, so I decided to start with something different this time. I wanted to manage a big club, but not a world power. I wanted to experience a different football culture, perhaps one that doesn't get as much attention on the forum. If the club is located in a beautiful, interesting city, that's even better. And, although I know I can change my bespoke club's kit any way I choose, I wanted to start with colors I like. (I don't think I can change the colors of the seats in my stadium, and it annoys me when they clash with the club's home strip.)
That's how I ended up in Norway. I've used one of the nation's bigger teams, Strømgodset, as the basis of my creation. My club is still located in the city of Drammen, and I'm leaving it in its home grounds, Marienlyst Stadium. I'm naming it Gulskogen, after a borough of Drammen that has historical connections to Strømsgodset. I like Godset's dark blue and white strip, so that's not being changed, either.
My alter ego, Aidan Harris, is an English manager with Norway as a second nationality. For the sake of the story, I'm giving Aidan some managerial credentials, rather than starting as an absolute beginner. My club will have a few full internationals on its roster, and I don't want them scorning the boss for his lack of experience.
There will be plenty of results and stats and numbers here, but I hope I'll create a character you'll enjoy reading about and rooting for (or against).
The title of my thread comes from the English translation of Norway's national motto: United and loyal until the mountains of Dovre crumble. That sounds like the kind of team I'd like to create: united, loyal, resolute.
I doubt Aidan will be around as long as the mountains of Dovre, but I hope he'll take the Blues to some lofty heights. We'll all find out soon enough.

I've decided to put my Create-a-Club idea(s) into motion. I've actually created TWO clubs: one in the Norwegian Premier Division, and one in the English Southern League Premier Central, courtesy of an edited database I found on this forum. I think assembling my teams is almost as much fun as playing through the season.
I'm a storyteller by nature, so I'm going to build a story line around the events on the pitch. I've enjoyed doing that with Out of the Park Baseball, and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in here, too.
The friendly welcome I received here makes me feel like this will be a fun place to spend time, read, and write.
Now I have to decide which save I'm going to feature first...

I'm definitely encouraged by all the responses to my post. I think I'll create a club and have another go at a career story. I tried doing it with an Irish club when Create-a-Club was new, and I didn't get very far with it. Perhaps it will grab my attention more securely this time.
I'm actually creating two bespoke clubs with FM 19. One will be a big London club, based on Spurs, which are my 11-year-old daughter's favorite team. The other will be a smaller club, probably an English non-league team from a village that looks like a fun place for the setting of a story. I'm not sure which one I'll write up.
Thanks for the replies!

Hello, or perhaps it's hello again.
It's been a long time since I posted in FMCU, The release of FM19 has me thinking about posting a career tale here.
I'm considering a Create-a-Club save. Before I begin a thread here, I wanted to ask you if that sort of career is something you might enjoy reading about, or if it's too far removed from reality to be appreciated as much as a "real" club's story.
What do some of you think? I know there's a large, active community here, and I've enjoyed lurking and reading some of the excellent writeups you've created.
Cheers,
GB

8 August 2014
July turned to August, and slowly, John's life began to take on more structure. He had moved into his lodgings in Livesay House, a small suite with a sitting area and a sleeping nook. The boys hadn't arrived yet, so it was quiet there. Once the term began, John would take his meals in the house's dining hall, but for now, he and the other members of the staff who were already on the grounds were eating at one of the other houses. John was enjoying getting to know a few of his colleagues.
The Admission Office was a busier place. There were families making late decisions about schools, and John was already pitching in to help them understand the advantages of a St Dunstan's education. At first he shadowed his supervisor, MatthewHart. Matthew was the Director of Admission, a congenial gentleman in his early forties who looked like he was straight from Central Casting. He wore his St Dunstan's blazer stylishly, and his smile was ready and warm. He knew his business, too, and he was happy to share his insights with John. Matthew's thirteen-year-old son, Mick, was a pacey forward in Oxford United's youth system.
Within a week, John had learned enough that Matthew let him lead a family on a campus tour, while he stood back and listened. John passed that test with flying colors--the family enrolled their son in Year Seven--and John was now leading tours by himself.
Things were going well at Old Woodstock Town, too. John got on well with his assistant, Aaron Hudson. Aaron was in his mid-fifties, and had been around the club for most of his life, first as a player, and then as a coach. He'd filled in as a caretaker manager when the club couldn't find a man for the job, but Aaron had no desire to be the boss himself. John immediately noticed Aaron had a real talent for teaching the attacking phase of the game, and he seemed able to motivate players to work hard in training.
John was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the players at his disposal. As Aaron pointed out, "These are real footballers, playing for a real club. They don't make it their life's work, but they take pride in a job well done. Some of them would be picking up a pay envelope somewhere, if they could make it work out. Unless--or until--they do, they'll turn out for us."
Goalkeeper Ryan Ellis was the tallest footballer John had ever seen. The teenager stood 6 feet 9 inches, and he hadn’t turned seventeen. Still, he was surprisingly agile, with decent reflexes, and he didn’t look completely awkward distributing the ball to his defenders. The other ‘keeper would be Mark McDermid, a friend of John’s with whom he’d played youth football twenty years ago. Mark was an electrician by trade who had never completely hung up his gloves. A phone call from John was all it took to convince Mark to pull on a Woodstock shirt. He wouldn’t mind serving as Ellis’s backup, and his professionalism would be a welcome addition to the side.
John was pleased to find a center back as well-rounded as Paul Stubbs in a club this small. He was suitably big and strong, aggressive and brave, and he was comfortable on the ball, too. Matthew James would probably be Paul’s partner most of the time. James was a little better in the air and a bit more conservative in possession, but both of them had a bit of pace.
Bobby Hayward looked like the best bet at right back. He wasn’t fast, but otherwise he ticked all the boxes. The best left back was young Allan Lampard, but John probably wouldn’t play him there. He might use Mark Evans, a solid, no-nonsense fullback, and play Lampard in the midfield. Evans’s expertise on corners and free kicks gave John another reason to select him.
Jake Anderson could fill in all along the back line. He seemed like a very ordinary player until he took a throw-in, a skill which he had raised to an art form.
Like Paul Stubbs, central midfielder Daniel Ross looked like an exceptionally good footballer for the Hellenic League. Semi-pro clubs were already on his trail, but for now, Ross would be the heartbeat of the side and the captain of the club. His likely partner, David Leonard, was an eager, hard-working player who did the unglamorous tasks that flashier players might not care to do. John might have liked to have a more dynamic playmaker to pair with Ross, but for now, Leonard would do.
Neither of the wingers, Lampard on the left and Ross Harding on the right, had the electric pace an ideal wide man would have, but Harding was a shifty dribbler and Lampard would run up and down his wing all day long.
John had four forwards in the team, all of whom could see significant amounts of action. Liam Cherry, who had just moved to the area from Irchester, was fast and athletic, and he could also do a job on the wing. Sean Fletcher was big and strong, a deadly finisher with a silky first touch. Lee King was quick and scrappy. Rob Millar offered lots of pace and flair. All but King could serve as a target man, able to hold up the ball and play in his partner.
This was the team John would lead into the first match of the Hellenic League Division One East season, away to Penn & Tylers Green. They had experienced fairly favorable results in their preseason friendlies, winning one and drawing three. The one journalist who sometimes covered the team, a friendly fellow called Ronald Camp, predicted a mid-table finish for the club, and that was what Michael Parsons had charged him with, too.
Now it was time to see if John and his club had what it took to achieve that goal.

1 July 2014
Michael Parsons was insistent. "We're talking about two days a week. One weekday evening, and Saturday."
Parsons was the director of Old Woodstock Town FC. They were an amateur club, whose New Road grounds were within walking distance from St Dunstan's. Parsons was looking for a manager for his club, and the thought of a bona fide professional, working at the school up the road, seemed like quite a piece of serendipity.
John nodded. He already knew what the schedule would be like. Parsons had mentioned it the first time they spoke, which was a week ago now. That conversation had intrigued John enough that he discussed it with Peter Greene, and the headmaster assured him things could be worked out.
"What's making you hesitate, John?"
"I've spent nearly my whole life in this world, Mr Parsons. I still love football, but at the same time, I need to find out if there's anything else I can do, and do well. I don't want to jeopardize my position at St Dunstan's because I'm too wrapped up in football. And it wouldn't be fair to you or your club for me to take the job and not give it the time and energy it deserves."
Parsons thought for a moment. "I'm willing to take that chance, if you are. We'd like to have you here. I think you'd help attract good players to our club, and help them get even better. What would you say to giving it a go? If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. There's no money changing hands here, so the parting wouldn't have to be difficult."
Now it was John's turn to pause, and think. "All right, Mr Parsons," he finally said, with a smile. "I'm in."
The two men shook hands, and just like that, John Pearson was the manager of Old Woodstock Town FC.